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Ulric
Ulric is the Imperial god of winter, wolves and war. Once worshiped as the foremost god of warfare among the tribes of the Reik Basin long before the rise of Sigmar and Myrmidia. Ulric the Mighty, Ulric the Proud, Ulric the wolf as white as snow. Though his cult has been overshadowed in the south by that of Sigmar, the wild provinces of the north know that there is only one true warrior in whom they can place their faith. According to the legend, Ulric once walked the land, leading a tribe of warriors known as the Teutogens from the East. They slaughtered their way through the indigenous forest tribes of the Reik to prove their dominance, dedicating every kill in honour of their war-god. After uncounted years of war, Ulric led these bloody tribesmen to a great mountain in the frigid forests of the icy north. Here, he struck the mountaintop flat with his fist, and a great flame sprung up from where his fist had struck. The Teutogens followed this light, and though they were set upon by packs of great wolves, they hefted their axes and hammers and answered the howls with their own and faught the rabid beasts. Ulric was pleased with this, and bathed the Teutogens in a pale light that caused the wolves to panic and flee. The Teutogens, in awe of this hallowed place, which they named the Fauschlag, meaning "Fist-Strike" in their dialect of Old Reikspiel, immediately swore to build the grandest of temples at this site -- where they would forever worship mighty Ulric, their god of Winter, Wolves and War. Ulric's faith spread to the other tribes who had settled the Reik Basin alongside the Teutogens. Eventually, he had become the foremost warrior-god of the tribesmen of the Reik, and the patron of many tribes aside from the Teutogens, such as the Unberogens and Thuringians. To the Teutogens, however, Ulric would always be their god, their mighty chieftain who had led them to glory. The Winter Wolf According to the legends of the Liber Lupus, Teutonengeschichte and the Ulric Creed -- the main holy texts of the Ulrican Cult, Ulric is the brother of Taal, who is Lord of the deep wilds just as Ulric as is Lord of war. Despite the Wolf-Lord's glory, it seemed to him that his brother always came before him in matters. He told these concerns to Taal, and was asked by his brother what would banish them from his head. Ulric replied that he only sought a place that he could say belonged to him and him alone. Out of love for his brother, Taal gave Ulric a great mountain and absolute lordship over the cold forests surrounding it. Mightily pleased with this gift, Ulric thanked his brother and smashed the mountaintop flat with his fist. Even to this day, the great mountain then settled by Ulric's followers has been known as both the the Fauschlag, as well as the Ulricsberg. The great deeds of Ulric are related within his holy books. Through metaphor and analogy, they teach how the wolf god expects his followers to behave. As a warrior-god, Ulric favours the direct approach, and relishes the inevitable confrontation such approaches cause. He expects strength, honour, ruthlessness and self-reliance and courage from his followers and is angered by weakness and cowardice. Indeed, the Ulric Creed is filled with chapter, verses and parables where the god punishes those who show fear. As a result, the Ulricans stand strong and true. Retreating only at the command of their superiors, as Ulric teaches obedience to one's military commanders in order assure victory, yet even then such an order is only accepted begrudgingly. In ancient days long past, when the Gods of Chaos were making their stronghold in the north, it was Mighty Ulric who demanded his brethren rise up to take the fight to them before they grew too powerful. Yet the other gods lacked Ulric's courage, so the Lord of Winter journeyed alone to pit his might against the Dark Lords of the North. As a result, the Ulricans strive to emulate their god's self-reliant manner, as Ulric demands his warriors fend for themselves. The best teacher, the Ulricans believe, is the mistake you survive. Ulric is a furious, savage god. And there are those amongst the Cults of Myrmidia and the more fundmantalist elements of the Sigmarite Cult who criticize his barbarism. Some, such as the former Sigmarite Priest Richter Kleiss, even go as far to equate him with the Dark Gods of the Far North, particularly Khorne. For their part, the Ulricans pay little heed to such sentiments. Indeed, Ulric may be a harsh god, but when the winters come and cruel storms grip the land, it is the wolf who survives while the lambs perish. The Cult of Ulric Main Article: Ulrican Cult Once, the worship of Ulric was almost universal among the tribes of the Reik basin. All the clans, from the Teutogens in the north to the Brigundians in the south paid homage to the Lord of Winter. And it was the greatest honour amongst the tribes for a warrior to die in battle and enter the halls of Ulric, where they would feast in his hall and hunt amidst the snowy plains of his realm. But amongst all the men of the ancient tribes, none were more devoted and pious in Ulric's worship than Sigmar Unberogen. Indeed, the God-King of the Empire was unshakably Ulrican; fighting every battle with the wolf-god's name on his lips and dedicating every victory to his favour, he was truly the chosen warrior of Ulric, and the fury of the winter wolf ran in his veins. When Sigmar was named Emperor of all the lands of men, it was the Ar-Ulric, a warrior-priest filled with the primal power of the god, he knelt before and was crowned by. Thus, it was Sigmar himself, now held as the patron god of the Empire, who was the first Ulrican to bear the mantle of the Emperor. However, the southern provinces have forgotten the might of Ulric. As the Empire has become more civilized, the men of those provinces have come to be horrified by harsh and stern gods such as Ulric, favouring instead kinder, more lenient deities. Where the Ulrican cult preaches independence and capitulates only to their god, the cult of Johann Helstrum, which venerates the heroic Sigmar as the god of the Empire, preached absolute loyalty to the Empire and to its leaders. In time, the nobility began to convert from the Ulric's faith to Johann's new religion, favouring the latter doctrine as it helped to reinforce their authority. In time, the ancient god was forgotten in the south. However, the northern provinces of the Empire yet remain the stronghold of the Ulrican cult, but elsewhere in the Empire the overall influence of the cult has declined. Sigmar and Myrmidia share Ulric's dominion over war, and the cult of Sigmar has overtaken much of the Ulrican cult's former political presence. That being said, the Ar-Ulric, the high priest of the cult, remains an Elector and the power of the cult in the north is undeniable. Despite his loss in influence, Ulric remains the second-most widespread and powerful god in the Empire. His sheer historical significance as the principle war-god of the ancient Empire and status as the Patron of Sigmar affording him a great deal respect. Much of the soldiery of the Empire still pay homage to the Wolf-King, for while Sigmar represents spiritual strength and the will to overcome evil and Myrmidia governs strategy, it is only Ulric who bestows upon men the strength to carry on war. The competition between Ulric and Sigmar has led to a level of posturing between the two cults, with the Ulricans seeing the Sigmarites as upstart weaklings, while the Sigmarites decry the Ulricans as brutish barbarians. The Ulricans are renowned for their steadfastness and reliability, slow to forgive and vengeful when crossed, yet are warm and open to allies and quick to offer them the benefit of the doubt. Their ways are short and to the point, and their strictures and sermons are simple and lack the pretentiousness common to other cults; this combination makes the cult of Ulric quite popular with the common man. The Ulricans are brash, boisterous men with a lust for battle. Even the priesthood of Ulric is comprised solely of highly accomplished warriors, and in some cases, the cult will only initiate those with acceptable military records or who are otherwise proven in battle. Contentious by nature, when two officers of the cult come into conflict, a duel between them usually erupts to decide dominance, with the loser ultimately acquiescing to the wishes of the winner. Thus, might, for the Ulricans, makes right. The Ulricans exalt their god with the blood of his enemies, and rejoice in the open contest of arms. Their's is a martial faith; its very reason for existence to create warriors to serve in the armies of the Empire, particularly its knightly orders, so that they might carry the word of Ulric across the world through their feats on the field of battle. The cult frowns upon the use of ranged weapons and gunpowder, much preferring weapons that require the direct application of skill and force. The Ulricans also despise trickery and any sort of tactical nuance that might be interpreted as cowardly; thus bringing them into conflict with both the Myrmidians and Ranaldans. As a result, the Ulricans are renowned throughout the Empire and beyond as fearsome warriors. Perhaps the strongest and most resolute in all the Emperor's armies. The fearsome Warrior-Priests of the cult are admired throughout the Empire for their battle-prowess and courage under fire. As are the rightly legendary Knights of the Wolf; a templar order dedicated to Ulric. Military training is mandatory for each and every one of Ulric's priests, and there are none amongst them who have not seen battle. The most fanatical warriors of Ulric are true terrors of the battlefield -- bloodthirsty berserkers, feared by many in the Empire and considered to be little different from the monstrous Chaos-worshiping Marauders of Norsca. Holy Sites of Ulric Ulric's temples resemble military fortresses more than houses of worship. They are large, square-walled buildings protecting a fortified inner sanctum and are designed to quarter great companies of warriors and hold off sieges. Within, there is as much training and preparation for war as there is prayer. When they are not fighting, the Ulricans loudly and boisterously proclaim their god's name in their congregations and admonish those too weak or cowardly to fight the Wolf God's enemies. There are many sites consecrated to the might of Ulric, chief amongst them being the legendary Fauschlag. But others also exist, and no settlement of the northern Empire is complete without a shrine honouring the Lord of Winter. The Flame of Ulric The magnificent silver-white flame that burns eternally in the center of the great Temple of Ulric located in the god's stronghold of Middenheim. In ancient days, when the tribes of the East were still settling the lands of the Reik basin, Ulric chose a great mountain in the north of the land to be his earthly domain. With a single strike of his fist, he obliterated the top of the mountain, rendering it flat. Where his fist had struck, there sprung a great, cold flame that forever rages in white-hot fury. Around this fire, Ulric's chosen people, the vicious Teutogens, took the mountain, now to be known eternally as the Fauschlag, as their home. It was under the belligerent chieftain, Artur, that the city of Middenheim was built upon the Fauschlag, after Artur had pressed the Dwarf-Folk into burrowing through the mountain in -50 IC. The Great Temple of Ulric upon the Ulricsberg is the holiest site dedicated to the god in all the Old World, and it is incumbent upon the god's followers to make the pilgrimage to it at least once in their lifetimes. The Flame of Ulric is the embodiment of Ulric's favour and everlasting rage. It is said that should the fire ever be allowed to go out, winter shall forever grip the world. It is the sign of Ulric's favour if a man can enter the Flame and emerge from it unscathed. Indeed, when Sigmar Unberogen fought Artur of the Teutogens for control of the Teutogen tribe, he was knocked into the fire by Artur's attacks. Rather than burn, Sigmar communed with the very essence of his god and emerged from the fire not only unhurt, but also blazing with the cold power of the wolf-god. When his roar broke from his throat, it was the howl of a wolf, not the sound of a man, and with a single strike did he smite Artur -- thus did Sigmar finally unite the tribes, with the aid of his mighty Lord. The Shrine of the Wolf On a country road but ten miles north of Altdorf lies an obscure shrine. But ten feet square and four storeys high, the tower tapers and rises until it ends in a tiled bellfry. There is no bell there, however, there has not been one for hundreds of years. On the ground floor of this tower is a wooden altar supporting a carven statue of wolf. Upon the wall behind the altar is wrought the ancient tale: Sigmar and Ulric. According to local legends, the tower commemorates the site where Sigmar is said to have been tested by Ulric, who is said to have fought him in the form of a great white wolf. Sigmar fought the mighty beast to a standstill and, impressed by his valour, the wolf spared Sigmar. Though it clear from its dilapidation that few have visited it in the recent past; the strength of the Ulrican cult has long been in declined in the more genteel south, and thus there have been few to tend this ancient shrine. Despite the shrine belonging to the cult of Ulric, it is unsurprising it remains untended this far south. The Wolf and the Griffon The Ulricans are proud of their god and their traditions. They are also proud of the Empire, but are resentful of the notion that it is the Sigmarite's Empire; for it was Ulrican blood that was greatly shed to secure it and is still spent daily to guard its northern borders from the ravages of the Chaos-worshiping Norscans, as well as the Beastmen of the forest. The fact that Sigmar himself was Ulric's own favoured warrior and his devout worshiper too casts the Ulrican's complaints in an understandable light. Thus many Ulricans see it as their duty to carry the Word of Ulric through the length and breadth of the Empire, even to the warmer climes of the south where his benevolence and power may not be apparent. His place amongst the gods must be fought for with words and deeds. It is an accepted practice within the cult that the stories of Ulric's warriors must be presented to show them in a good light when compared to Sigmar's. While most Ulricans are happy to give the Sigmarites their due respect, they are not inclined to deference, and believe that respect should be earned, especially through feats of valour on the battlefield. They are resentful of the Sigmarites' newfound political influence over the Empire, and often go out of their way to prove to the Sigmarites that Ulricans are the true strength of the Empire. Some priests of the cult, however, go further than that, and are adamant in their notion that Sigmar was no god at all, but merely a powerful warrior blessed by Ulric with the strength and will to unite his people, and thus go on to decry the Sigmarite cult as being founded on heresies and lies. One individual within the cult itself, the High Priest of the Order in Altdorf, Olaf Eichermann, is perhaps the most well-known proponent of such views. He has long resented the dominance and hypocrisy of the Sigmarite Church and has defamed them in many of his sermons, which may one day see him branded a heretic if heard by a less than generous Sigmarite or a Witch Hunter. In private, Olaf too holds on to the radical view that Sigmar was merely one of Ulric's Chosen, and that by extension, the Empire as it exists today is itself founded on heresy. The Ar-Ulric, the supreme leader of the cult in its entirety, still retains his single vote in the process of Imperial election, just as the Grand Theoginist of the Sigmarites also has his single vote. This gives the Ulrican cult incredible power and influence when compared to other, lesser cults of the Empire, such as the Myrmidians and the Morrites. However, when one takes into account the single votes afforded to the two Arch-Lectors of the Sigmarite Cult, the Ulricans' power begins to pale in comparison. It is the view of many Ulricans that the Empire would be better served by having a more even balance of power between the two great factions. Whatever the Ulrican theologians may think about the desirability of such a balance of power, it is true, put simply, that the Ulricans are not too fond of the Sigmarites. Manifestation Ulric is commonly depicted as a hulking warrior clad in furs and iron armour, thus appearing much akin to the barbarian warriors of the ancient tribes. His long black hair and beard are white with hoarfrost, and he bears a massive battle-axe. At his side are two great, snarling wolves. Other depictions of Ulric portray him as a massive white wolf. The legendary axe of Ulric is known as Blitzbeil; in some traditions of the tale of the founding of Middenheim, Ulric is said to have struck the mountain flat with this mighty iron-hafted blade, causing the silver-white Flame of Ulric to sprout at the mountain's centre. Sources * Tome of Salvation (RPG) pg. 66 - 70 * Tome of Blessings (RPG) pg. 5 - 6, 17 - 18 * Signs of Faith (RPG) pg. 4 - 8, 14 - 15 * Ashes of Middenheim (RPG) pg. 5, 16 * Life of Sigmar (Background Book) * Empire (Novel) by Graham McNeill * Heldenhammer (Novel) by Graham McNeill Category:Gods of Old World Category:Gods Category:The Empire